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I have been known to ask leaders I coach a simple question:
At first, it can feel like an odd place to start. Most leadership conversations tend to focus on what’s next on the agenda… what’s behind schedule… or what needs attention right now. Those are important discussions. They drive execution. They keep things moving. But over time, they can also create a steady rhythm of pressure—where the focus is almost always on what’s missing rather than what’s being built. And that has an impact.
Allow me to ask…
When your team thinks about the work they’re doing… what do they feel they’re part of? Is it a series of tasks? Or is it progress toward something that actually matters?
We hear the term inspirational leadership.
And for some leaders, that term can feel a bit uncomfortable.
It can sound like something reserved for charismatic personalities… or high-energy communicators… or people who naturally gravitate toward the spotlight.
So they default to a more practical mindset:
Let’s just focus on the work. And in many cases, that works. But it also raises the questions:
Is inspiration really about personality? Or is it about what you choose to emphasize?
When you ask, “What should we celebrate next?” you’re not just talking about recognition. You’re defining direction. You’re signaling what success looks like in the near term. You’re identifying something worth moving toward—something visible, something shared. In many cases, leaders assume their teams understand this. But do they?
What is the next meaningful milestone your team is working toward? And just as important… do they know it?
There’s a second question that naturally follows.
Because not all celebrations are about the event itself. In many cases, it’s not about the celebration at all. It’s about what the celebration represents. Progress. Contribution. Momentum. A sense that what we’re doing matters.
It depends on the team. It depends on the culture. And it certainly depends on what you’re trying to reinforce. But the act of defining something worth celebrating—and doing it in advance—has a way of aligning effort in a very different way.
I once challenged a CEO client to ponder possibilities and what might be their next achievement worth celebrating. On my next visit to his office, I noticed he had written the question on his whiteboard.
He had left space beneath it. Not for results, but for ideas.
What stood out wasn’t the question itself. It was the intent behind it.
He wasn’t waiting to recognize success after the fact. He was inviting his team to help define it.
That changes things.
Because people want to feel part of something bigger than themselves. They want to know that their effort is contributing to something that has meaning beyond the task in front of them.
And when that connection is clear, something else shows up: discretionary effort.
You can push for performance. You can manage activity. And in many cases, that will get you what you need in the short term. But just because you can drive results that way doesn’t mean you should. Because when people see where they’re going—and they believe it matters—they tend to bring a different level of energy to the work.
If the idea of being an “inspirational leader” doesn’t feel natural to you… what if it’s simpler than that? What if it’s less about style… and more about intention? What if, occasionally, putting on the “cheerleader’s hat” isn’t about enthusiasm… but about clarity?
What are the agenda items your team is working through right now? Which of those actually represent meaningful progress? Which of those are worth celebrating? And have you made that visible?
If your team were to achieve something meaningful this week, month or quarter…
Would it feel like a shared win? Or just another box checked on the way to the next task?
If you’re looking to inspire your team—not just manage it—this might be a place to start.
What should you be celebrating next? And how might you engage your team in getting there? Because in the end, inspiration isn’t created by personality.
It’s created when people see that what they’re working on matters… and that they’re part of making it happen.
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